California Democratic lawmakers leave Elon Musk’s X over hate speech
Nearly every Democrat in the California Assembly will leave X, the social media platform owned by Elon Musk, over concerns about disinformation and hate speech on the site.
Speaker Robert Rivas and Assembly Majority Leader Cecilia Aguiar-Curry announced Thursday 58 of the caucus’ 60 members would stop communications on the app, in part to stop taxpayer resources from going to the company.
“There are real risks with relying on a private company, owned by Elon Musk, as a channel for communications,” Rivas said in a statement. “Democracy depends on impartial information, not the shifting whims of one billionaire.”
Musk purchased Twitter — now called X — in 2022, promising to crack down on spam accounts and to make the app more welcoming to conservative viewpoints. He faced criticism for gutting the company’s workforce and content moderation policies.
The Tesla and SpaceX CEO has since risen as one of President Donald Trump’s closest advisers and heads the new Department of Government Efficiency tasked with slashing spending throughout the federal government.
“Hate speech is everywhere on X, the company has no accountability, and the flood of misinformation from fake accounts is just that — fake,” Rivas said. “I don’t think taxpayer resources should go to X.”
A recent study led by a UC Berkeley doctoral student found that hate speech on X rose by about 50% in the months after Musk acquired the platform.
Elected officials have for years used X to communicate with constituents, share information during emergencies and publicly weigh in on policy. Typically, they have an official account for constituent services managed by staff and a personal account used for campaigning.
Rivas did not say which two Democratic lawmakers would remain on the platform, but Assemblymember Isaac Bryan appears to be one of them. He posted after the announcement was made that “the best way to combat hate and bigotry is with love and compassion.”
Democratic lawmakers will use other platforms to communicate with constituents, Rivas said, including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Threads, Bluesky, LinkedIn and YouTube.
California Republicans are staying put on the platform and launched a caucus account on Bluesky Thursday afternoon after Rivas’ announcement.
Assembly Republican Leader James Gallagher said the Democratic exodus is a bad move for public engagement.
“Democrats can run, but they can’t hide from being called out for their out-of-touch agenda that’s made California less safe and less affordable,” Gallagher said. “Republicans are willing to listen to voices from across the political spectrum and don’t need a safe space to get away from opinions we don’t like.”
Aguiar-Curry cited reports that misinformation on X hampered relief efforts for hurricane victims last fall.
“As someone who’s lived through devastating wildfires in California, it broke my heart to see people reject federal assistance because of disinformation on X,” she said.
“Elon Musk does not invest in moderation on the platform, which means there is rampant misinformation, and this clearly causes harm and endangers our friends and neighbors during emergencies. It is irresponsible to continue to encourage our constituents to seek reliable public safety info on X.”
This story was originally published March 27, 2025 at 3:21 PM with the headline "California Democratic lawmakers leave Elon Musk’s X over hate speech."